CBI opposes TV actor Anuj Saxena's bail plea in graft case

Pic Courtesy: TV show still

New Delhi: The CBI today told a special court that TV actor Anuj Saxena was an influential person who could hamper the investigation in a graft case, in case he was granted bail.

Rejecting CBI's plea for grant of two weeks to complete the investigation into his voice sample, Special Judge Gurdeep Singh asked the probe agency to complete the probe till March 3 when it will further hear the bail plea of Saxena.

The accused is in judicial custody in a case in which his co-accused and senior bureaucrat B K Bansal and his entire family committed suicide last year.

During the brief hearing, the CBI opposed actor's bail application, saying though his voice sample has been recovered by it, the probe regarding the same was still pending.

The court then asked the counsel for CBI how many days it required to complete the probe on this aspect, the agency said it needed two weeks.

"I can't give that much time. I am posting the matter for March 3," the judge said.

While seeking bail, the counsel for the accused claimed he had never tried to flee from justice or tried to influence the witnesses or the ongoing probe. "The probe regarding him is already complete as the CBI itself had recommended him to the judicial custody," the defence counsel said.

The CBI opposed the bail plea, saying Saxena was an influential person and if released on bail, he may influence the witnesses who are yet to be examined or hamper the probe.

CBI has alleged that it has intercepted Saxena's calls and other evidences to prove that he had played a direct role in bribing Bansal to ensure that he does not order an SFIO inspection against his company on charges of illegal collection of Rs 175 crore from 24,000 investors, diversion of funds to companies abroad and not filing returns on time.

The court had on February 20 sent Saxena to 14-day judicial custody after CBI said his custodial interrogation was not required.

Bansal, who was out on bail, allegedly hung himself along with his son at their residence on the intervening night of September 26-27, 2016 with a purported suicide note claiming "harassment" by CBI.

Bansal was arrested by CBI on July 16, 2016 for allegedly accepting bribe from the pharmaceutical company.

Three days later, his wife Satyabala (58) and daughter Neha (28) allegedly hung themselves from ceiling fans at their residence in Nilkanth Apartments in East Delhi's Madhu Vihar.